SLIFF 2014 Review – THE LIBERATOR

THE LIBERATOR screens as part of the 23rd Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival on Sunday, November 23 at 6 PM at Landmark’s Tivoli Theatre. For ticket information go here

For any film fans nostalgic for the kind of sweeping, historical epic that Cecil B. DeMille and William Wyler created for the big, BIG screen, than look no further than this work from Venezuelan director Alberto Avelo. It’s the story of South American hero, Simon Bolivar (Edgar Ramirez). When we first meet the man, he’s on the run from assassins after re-uniting with his lover/ freedom-fighting partner Manuela (Juana Acosta). But what led him to this point? Flashback to his visit to the court of Spain several years before. The plantation owner from across the Atlantic bests the King and romances future wife Maria (Maria Valverde). But when the newlyweds return to his homeland, things have changed. The King’s troops rule the land with an iron fist. Soon his bride and a childhood mentor open his eyes to the injustice. After tragedy strikes, Simon utilizes his fortune and mobilizes militias from many different lands to drive out the European oppressors and restore freedom to all the native peoples.

Working from a screenplay by St. Louis native Timothy J Sexton, director Avelo has crafted a lavish true life swashbuckler set in lush jungles and beachfronts. But the talented cast makes it more than a lavish South of the Border travelogue. Ramirez soars as a steely, square-jawed man of action whether leading the charge, leaping on to the battlefield, or romancing Acosta and Valverde. There’s even a familiar face for US audiences: none other than Danny Huston of the famous film dynasty. He plays a mysterious investor from the states, eager to invest with Simon and develop the land. With his sly as a fox grin, Huston’s Torkington entertains every time he turns up through the story. There’s also glorious period costumes, props, and sets on display. THE LIBERATOR introduces Northern movie audiences to a most compelling world leader.